James and Jennifer Crumbley shift blame during sentencing, apologize for son's actions
(FOX 2) - During their sentencing Tuesday, James and Jennifer Crumbley were given the opportunity to address the victims and the court. But what families heard from the parents of the Oxford school shooter before learning of their fate, was not remorse.
Instead, they apologized for their son's actions without taking accountability for their own, the victims' families said.
Separate juries convicted James and Jennifer of four counts of involuntary manslaughter after determining that their actions and lack of actions were to blame for the shooting that left four teens dead. Judge Cheryl Matthews gave them 10-15 years in prison, but not before the two parents addressed the courtroom.
Crumbleys: We didn't know son's plans
When they read their statements, both parents asserted that they did not know about their son's behavior in school nor that he might shoot up the school.
"He (the shooter) was not the son I knew when I woke up on Nov. 30," Jennifer said. "My husband and I used to say we had the perfect kid. I truly believed that."
Jennifer, who testified during her trial that she wouldn't have done anything differently, said her answer was misunderstood, adding that in hindsight she would have taken different actions. But even with the knowledge now, she told the court she was not aware that her son was having issues in school, such as refusing to make up a test and sleeping in class.
During her sentencing, Jennifer said she was never asked to take her son home on the day of the shooting. James and Jennifer had been called to the school after their son was caught drawing disturbing images on a worksheet. She also added that dean of students Nicholas Ejak, counselor Shawn Hopkins, and her son led her to believe the incident "was an isolated incident."
James, who bought the gun used in the shooting, also claimed that he didn't know what his son was up to.
"What my son did, I was not aware of, or that he was planning it, or that he obtained access to the firearms that were in my house," James said.
He said his actions would have been different had he known.
"James had no knowledge of what his son was planning to do later that day," said Mariell Lehman, James's lawyer.
Hate for the prosecutor, align with the victims
James and Jennifer both expressed remorse for the actions of their son, but did not apologize for the actions that led to their convictions.
"I know we did our best," Jennifer said. "The love I have for our son mixed with regret for not seeing what was ahead weighs heavily on me."
She also saved part of her statement for the prosecution, telling Karen McDonald and Marc Keast "I have hated you with deep anger."
"But hate is a heavy cross to carry. I need to be set free of that burden and recognize that you are people just like me. Imperfect."
James made apologies on behalf of his son, before directing his remarks to something Tate Myre's father, Buck, said during his victim impact statement, when he called for an investigation into the school and a search for accountability.
"It’s time for the whole truth to come out. It’s time to learn from this," Buck said. "That’s when real change happens."
James echoed what Buck said, at one point even addressing him by name.
"It is time that we all know the truth. We have been prohibited from telling the whole truth. The whole truth has not been told," James said. "You have not had the truth."
He did not elaborate on what he meant.
Jennifer Crumbley speaks at sentencing: ‘I’ve lost myself over my son’s wrongdoing’
Jennifer Crumbley speaks at her sentencing hearing, addressing her remarks during testimony that she said she wouldn’t have done anything differently, the meeting with school officials the morning of the shooting, how she feels the prosecution has molded their image and learning forgiveness.
But the victims' families had no interest in aligning themselves with James. After the hearing, Madisyn Baldwin's mom called it disgraceful that he would make an effort to search for the truth.
"This was still another attempt to shed the responsibility onto somebody else," said Steven St. Juliana, father of Hana. "It was consistent through the very whole trial up to his very end, his last statement, ‘it wasn’t me, it was someone else.'"
Since the school shooting, the victims' families have been calling for an investigation into the school, including how the shooting could have been prevented or handled better. They said the next step was pursuing accountability from the district.